Bringing a Red Tailed Black Cockatoo into your home is a commitment to a long and rewarding companionship. These intelligent and striking birds can live for an impressive 80-120 years, growing to approximately 60cm in length. To ensure your feathered friend thrives, understanding their housing, dietary, and enrichment needs is paramount. This guide, based on expert experience, outlines the essential steps to provide a happy and healthy life for your Red Tailed Black Cockatoo.
Housing Your Red Tailed Black Cockatoo
Hand-raised Red Tailed Black Cockatoos, often accustomed to human interaction from as early as three weeks old, adapt well to domestic environments. A robust, thick-gauge wire cage is crucial, with recommended dimensions of at least 65 inches in width, 30 inches in depth, and 75 inches in height. This generous space allows ample room for movement and exercise, minimizing the risk of injury. Open-top cages featuring perching areas are particularly beneficial for hand-raised birds, fostering greater freedom and interaction. For nighttime, covering the cage with a sheet or cover is advisable to protect against drafts and reduce visual stimuli, promoting a restful sleep.
Essential Care and Diet
The diet of a Red Tailed Black Cockatoo in captivity should primarily consist of a balanced mix of pellets and seeds, supplemented with fresh fruits and vegetables. A large parrot mix or a fruit and nut mix is suitable, but it’s important to limit sunflower seed intake due to its high fat content. Including a small amount of grit daily will aid in digestion.
To ensure adequate vitamin and mineral intake, supplement their daily seed portion with fresh produce such as apples, carrots, beans, peas, corn, broccoli, and spinach. Crucially, avoid feeding lettuce and avocado, and always remove apple seeds, as they can be harmful. Fresh fruits and vegetables should not be left in the cage for extended periods, as they can quickly spoil, leading to potential illness from bacteria and yeast growth.
Regular supplementation is key for long-term health. Add vitamin supplements like Soluvite D or Multivet to your cockatoo’s water two to three times per week. Cuttlebone and iodine bells provide essential calcium and iodine. Always ensure fresh water is available and changed daily. A broad-spectrum bird wormer should be administered every three months. For the first year of a Red Tailed Black Cockatoo’s life, providing a high-quality calcium supplement such as Calcivet at least three times a week is essential.
Enrichment and Mental Stimulation
Enrichment is vital for enhancing the quality of life for your Red Tailed Black Cockatoo, mirroring the stimulating environment they would experience in the wild. Foraging, a natural instinct for all birds, is an excellent way to engage both their physical and mental faculties. A diverse range of foraging toys can cater to different species and keep them mentally agile, especially when you are not present. Rotating these toys every few weeks in the cage will maintain their interest.
Incorporating natural branches of varying lengths, shapes, and thicknesses is also crucial. Native branches such as eucalyptus, gum, grevillea, bottle brush, and lilly pilly offer natural foraging opportunities through their nuts and flowers. These natural perches also allow your Red Tailed Black Cockatoo to exercise their feet and beak by stripping bark, contributing to their overall well-being.
Licensing and Shopping List
In New South Wales, Australia, owning a Red Tailed Black Cockatoo requires a Class 1 Bird Keeper’s Licence, which can be applied for online through the NSW Office of Environment & Heritage. http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/wildlifelicences/applnformsandfees.html
To properly care for your Red Tailed Black Cockatoo, consider this essential shopping list:
- Cage: 65”x30”x75” thick gauge wire
- Water bowl
- Food bowl
- Perches (natural and cement)
- Ozpet Litter
- Cage Tidy
- Cage cover
- Carry cage
- Pellets & Seed
- Vitamins
- Worming medication
- Avicare disinfectant
- Mixed treat nuts
- Lice & Mite spray
- Foraging toys
- Colourful toys
- Ladders
- Parrot Pad
- Play stand
Common Health Concerns
Red Tailed Black Cockatoos can be susceptible to several health issues. Psittacosis is a bacterial lung infection that can be transmitted to humans. Respiratory infections, often stemming from vitamin A deficiency but also influenced by fungi, parasites, or environmental toxins, are another concern. Bacterial infections, frequently linked to poor hygiene or stress compromising the immune system, are also common.
Red flags indicating potential illness include fluffed-up feathers, nasal discharge, lethargy, changes in behavior, or discolored droppings/diarrhea. If you observe any of these signs, it is imperative to contact your veterinarian immediately.
At Kellyville Pets, we are committed to promoting responsible pet ownership. This care guide is compiled from our extensive experience, but in all medical situations, consulting with your veterinarian is the most crucial step for your pet’s health and dietary needs.
